we just published a new update which brings a lot of AI improvements as well as a completely new game mechanic for you make usw of:

Version 2.1 adds an all new mercenary mechanic that lets you hire fully trained veteran units using the new Mercenary Post upgrade. Mercenaries don't need recruits, but they are expensive and don't replaces losses after combat so you'll need to manage them wisely.

For now, available mercenaries include the standard skirmishers, spearmen, cavalry, etc. plus special units from the campaign like the Cretan Archers or Baelaric Slingers.

Also, if you take a look at the store page of Hegemony Rome: The Rise of Caesar and you will notice a new DLC which adds additional and even stronger mercenaries to Hegemony Rome!

Last but not least, here's the official changelog:

New 'Mercenary Post' upgrade for cities

New 'Hire Mercenaries' button in the city command panel

Disband/Raze button has been moved from the top-right to the centre

Units can now be disbanded in the field

New warning button before units are disbanded

Units will no longer get recruits if their home city doesn't have the upgrades to support them

Fixed issue with rebellion speed when city or fort is under attack

Improved filtering of data in the graphs window (may lead to a one-time 1-2 min freeze after loading really long games e.g. 1000+ mins)

In-game charts show minimal AI-factions activity. Raiders are simply staying at starting place and doing nothing until I clash into them. I've captured an average walled city having 5 garrisoned units with my four. They didn't do anything, simply wating till city surrenders (though I had about half of my army slaughtered in siege). No one came to help either.

I wonder because in Philip Macedon even raiders made some raids, one raider fort was sending reinforcements to another, and I can even remember how AI-factions sent reinforcement from nearby cities to help besieged ones.

You have to build a mercenary post, then the "build mercenaries" menu will work. In the mercenary menu you will be able to hire a selection of randomly-selected brigades. It might randomly select regular brigades instead of the special ones, but the special ones should come up frequently.

uhhggg the randomness of it is really annoying also there should be more to recruit in it. As of yet i have not encountered even one of them all I ever get is skermishers and while i'm at it are you ever going to add more units to the game, it seems really bare bones with only like 6 troop types for every faction that are exactly the same. i love the gameplay would just like to see more variations.

Created a quick mod to make the DLC mercenaries 8 times more likely to appear; the game still has a bias against previous unit types appearing again, so it won't exclusively be DLC units, but they should appear much more often now. You can edit the mod yourself to make the units even more likely to appear if you like.

{LINK REMOVED}Download link. Do NOT activate this mod if you do not have the Mercenaries DLC.

Created a quick mod to make the DLC mercenaries 8 times more likely to appear; the game still has a bias against previous unit types appearing again, so it won't exclusively be DLC units, but they should appear much more often now. You can edit the mod yourself to make the units even more likely to appear if you like.

{LINK REMOVED}Download link. Do NOT activate this mod if you do not have the Mercenaries DLC.

I'd *really* like some way of "refilling" my mercenary units... :/ maybe by "drafting" from the population (recruits) of a city they are stationed at, at a 2:1 or 3:1 rate, with the possibility to switch it on/off...

Created a quick mod to make the DLC mercenaries 8 times more likely to appear; the game still has a bias against previous unit types appearing again, so it won't exclusively be DLC units, but they should appear much more often now. You can edit the mod yourself to make the units even more likely to appear if you like.

{LINK REMOVED}Download link. Do NOT activate this mod if you do not have the Mercenaries DLC.

How do I activate the mod? Do I just copy the files to the DLC-folder or should I do something else?

I'd *really* like some way of "refilling" my mercenary units... :/ maybe by "drafting" from the population (recruits) of a city they are stationed at, at a 2:1 or 3:1 rate, with the possibility to switch it on/off...

Mercenaries being un-refillable is the tradeoff for their starting with free upgrades and full recruits. Mercenaries are meant to be a supplement for your army, not just a stronger version capable of replacing it entirely. When they have too few units to be useful, you should disband them to get your gold back.

How do I activate the mod? Do I just copy the files to the DLC-folder or should I do something else?

You'll need to move the MoreSpecialMercs folder (extract it from the .zip) into My Documents/Longbow Digital Arts/Hegemony Rome/Mods. It should appear in the "Mods" flag of the "New" menu if you get it successfully installed.